How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 TV Movie) / Horton Hears A Who (1970 TV Movie) [Soundtrack]

Dr. Seuss | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 5, 1999)
• Original Release Date: October 19, 1999
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Soundtrack
• Label: Rhino
• ASIN: B00000K5BF
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #121,368 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #11 in Music > Miscellaneous > Holiday > Children's Music

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com

From Rhino Records come the marvelous soundtracks to two televised adaptations of Dr. Seuss's modern classics The Grinch That Stole Christmas! and Horton Hears a Who! Originally recorded in 1966, The Grinch is the barometer by which all television Christmas specials are measured. In the hands of lyricist Seuss and composers Albert Hague and Eugene Poddany, the soundtrack mixes traditional Yuletide sounds with square-dancing music and sophisticated sound effects. Boris Karloff shines as the storyteller and the voice of the Grinch, a gloriously Seussified Scrooge. And Thurl Ravenscroft, also known as the voice of Tony the Tiger, sings "You're a Mean One, Mr. Grinch" with glee. The second and lesser known of the two tales chronicles the interactions of a big-eared elephant, Horton, and the misunderstood, somewhat-mad professor Dr. Hoovey. Narrated in the familiar and engaging meter of Seuss's finest rhyming prose, these lively tales will secure an entirely new audience with their fine scores. --Paige La Grone

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Didn't love it, but didn't hate it either, December 13, 2004

By 

Pope (United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 TV Movie) / Horton Hears A Who (1970 TV Movie) (Audio CD)

Let me start off by saying that I love the Grinch - it's simply not Christmas without him. But this soundtrack of the classic TV special is not what I had expected it to be. All the dialogue and songs are here exactly as heard on the TV program, but really if we wanted to hear the exact TV special, we could just as well pop in the tape or the DVD. Boris Karloff's dialog and Grinch are divine - no gripes here. When you're listening to the songs as interspersed throught the dialog as originally intended that's OK too. I like the idea of reprising the songs complete with no dialoge, except during "You're A Mean One Mr. Grinch" there are some large gaps in the song where dialogue exists. The songs in tracks 11-14 could stand better editing for better continutity.

What blows my mind though is that Turner (which now controls the film) has stooped so low as to package this delightful soundtrack in such moronic packaging as this. How cheap! I can honestly say that this is the poorest excuse for a CD case I have ever seen in a Turner/Warner product. The Grinch deserves better than this.

The Jim Carey movie notwithstanding, there are 2 soundtrack versions of the 1966 TV special: this one from Turner and the other version with the white cover from (I think) MCA. The other version is not taken directly from the soundtrack as this one IS, but is more of a studio recording. While you can't surpass the performances as seen on TV, I do prefer the MCA version of the album. The performances by Boris Karloff (on both albums) are essentially identical, and the Grinch's lines on the MCA disc are taken directly from the soundtrack. Thurl Ravenscroft's singing of "You're A Mean One, Mr. Grinch" is only slightly different between the two albums, but on the MCA disc is done with better continuity (and more clarity) and that is the rendition of the song you usually hear on the radio at Christmas time. I especially love the addition of the word "deplorable" in "You're A Mean One" on MCA's album, as follows: "Your soul is an appalling dungheap, overflowing with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable....."

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I love the cds "Turner Classic Movie Music" produces!, December 15, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 TV Movie) / Horton Hears A Who (1970 TV Movie) (Audio CD)

I like the 1966 "How the Grinch Stole Christmas" very much. It is much better than the 2000 movie that I was greatly dissapointed by. The musical score of the 1966 TV movie excelent. The quality of the score is brough up and emphasized from behind the narration of Boris Karloff. And though I was a little dissapointed that the dialogue wasn't filtered out so the score was only heard, I still give it five stars. I have never seen "Hotron Hears A Who", so I wasn't that impressed by the soundtrack to that. For this holiday season, buy the 1966 soundtrack to "How the Grinch Stole Christmas", not the 2000 soundtrack.

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the best twofor , it's a steal !, July 21, 2000

By 

Brent Hilton (Layton, Utah USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966 TV Movie) / Horton Hears A Who (1970 TV Movie) (Audio CD)

i remember watching the grinch, every christmas season & loving the plot& the inside jokes , but most of all i loved the music. last christmas i purchased this disc & was'nt at all disappointed. not only does it included the grinch & horton hears a who, but delightful sinly bonus tracks plus liner notes with chuck jones that drew the grinch. weather christmas is coming or not it's a great disc to listen to, happy days to all. highly recommended!